


Oblivious

by fadinglight123



Series: Fives Week 2020 [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Asexual Character, Brothers being assholes, Gen, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, aroace fives is oblivious, flirting is hard to write, in which I project on my favorite characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadinglight123/pseuds/fadinglight123
Summary: Day 3- Unrequited"Fives," Echo sounded intensely done, "she's been flirting with youall day!"Fives blinked."What?!""Ray'ika-" And oh, little gods, Rex was breaking out the nickname, this wasbad- "She just invited you toshare her bed."Oh.Oh."But- But I don't want to do-thatwithanyone!"--------In which Fives doesn't notice a civilian is flirting with him
Series: Fives Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774357
Comments: 11
Kudos: 90
Collections: Fives Week 2k20





	Oblivious

**Author's Note:**

> This was simultaneously so much fun and a complete pain in the ass to write. Enjoy?

Fives really wished his brothers would stop laughing at him. 

He wished they’d do a lot of things honestly. Like quit staring. And tell him why they’d been staring and laughing so much. And maybe help him get these civilians settled. But he’d settle for them not laughing at him anymore. 

It was one thing for Echo to be laughing at him. His twin was kind of weird sometimes, and Fives was accustomed to ignoring him when he was clearly having fun at Fives’s expense. But more and more of them had been watching him and trying to hide laughter. And they weren’t being sneaky about it. 

He’d even caught Rex watching him with a smirk on his face. 

For the moment, he was trying to keep his head down and do his job while ignoring the eyes following him ( _looking at you, Jesse and Echo_ ). 

The 501st had spent the last 3 months attempting to retake the planet of Akiva with help from the locals. It had been a long, hard campaign and they were finally starting to see results. The 501st had recently liberated a major settlement from Separatist control. They had a few days before they would need to begin the march to their next mission and meet up with the 212th. The local Akivans had graciously offered to host the clones as thanks for their assistance, with some homes opening their doors to take in the wounded and give them proper beds. 

Echo, Fives, Jesse, and a few other members of Torrent were assigned to work with one of the leaders of the local resistance as they began the process of working through the aftermath of the battle. They were  _ supposed  _ to be helping to repair some of the damage to the existing structures and setting up temporary quarters for everyone not being put up by the locals. 

Instead, Fives was doing most of the heavy lifting while his  _ di’kut  _ brothers watched and laughed and pretended to be productive. 

“A little  _ help _ would be  _ appreciated,” _ he snarled under his breath as he dragged yet another piece of lumber by Jesse and Echo, trailing behind the local- a human woman. 

Echo only snickered, and Jesse gave Fives a shit-eating grin. 

“And get in your way? We would  _ never!” _

_“_ What does that even _mean?!_ _Sharal shebse,”_ he bit out, gritting his teeth as he heard them continue to cackle behind him. 

He turned and found the local- _she’d given her name, what was it...Lorten? Raya Lorten?_ _Something like that..._ \- already watching him, a strange look in her eyes. Fives blinked in surprise. She quirked an eyebrow at him, looking vaguely amused as she nodded at his brothers. 

“Your brothers not the helpful sort?” Fives frowned, shooting an annoyed look over his shoulder. They were supposed to be representing Torrent while Rex and the General strategized!

“They’re normally plenty helpful. And more willing to pitch in to get the job done. I’m not entirely sure what’s gotten into them. Sorry about that, ma’am.” He offered her an apologetic smile. Hopefully, they wouldn’t think too badly of them just because a few of his brothers had decided to be a bunch of lazy  _ dikut’e.  _

“Call me Raina, Sergeant,” she said with a smile. “And don’t worry about them, you’ve all certainly earned a break. We owe you for helping us retake our home.”

“Just doing our job, ma’am. And there’s still work to be done if we’re going to finish these repairs by nightfall.” 

Lorten huffed, slumping. “There’re always repairs to be done around here.” She seemed to rally herself, smiling again, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder. “We’ve got a solid amount of work done...Fives, right?” He nodded. “We got a solid amount of work done, Fives. All that’s left is getting enough places set up that you and your brothers aren’t camping outside.” 

“At this rate, they’d deserve it,” Fives laughed. “Seeing as they’re sitting around instead of helping out. But I’d prefer a roof over as many heads as possible.” 

Lorten threw her head back, laughing. “Can’t say I blame you. It’s very sweet how much you care for your brothers.” She looked almost bashful now. 

“Someone’s gotta be the responsible one! Usually, it’s Echo, but if he’s gonna goof off, I guess it’s gotta be me.” 

“Oh,  _ come on-” _ Both Fives and Lorten turned as they heard an indignant shout from behind them. Fives furrowed his brows in confusion as he saw Echo slapping a hand over Jesse’s mouth, rolling his eyes. His twin only shook his head at Fives confused look before leaning in to whisper something to the other trooper. He turned back around and found Lorten still looking at him, an expression he couldn’t quite read on her face.

“...Right.” She paused for a moment, almost seeming to size Fives up as she looked at him before her expression cleared. “Would you like some help setting up your encampment? We could go gather some more lumber together. I’m sure it’ll go faster with the two of us!” 

“No need.” Fives shook his head with a smile. “The boys and I have already got all we need. Now we just have to assemble it.” 

“Oh...” she slumped a little, before straightening. “Well. Let’s get on that, then!” For some reason, Lorten looked...disappointed by that response. Fives couldn’t understand why. The trees here were extremely hardy. Chopping them down and turning the wood into a usable form hadn’t been a fun job. 

_“By all the little gods…”_ _That_ was definitely Echo’s voice, sounding exasperated. He looked over his shoulder and saw his twin face-palming and Jesse staring at him, a look of frustration on his face. 

Fives frowned and started to walk over to ask what was wrong, but Lorten called out to him. 

“You coming?” 

Fives frowned, but Jesse waved him off and Echo had turned to apparently actually try and get some work done. So he decided to leave them to it and follow her.   
  


* * *

  
For the rest of the day, Lorten followed Fives around, helping him set up accommodations for the rest of the troops, offering him water, some food, encouraging him to take breaks. At one point, when Fives had removed his armor and was just in blacks in order to make maneuvering around easier, she offered to take the top and wash it for him. That one had actually caught him off-guard enough to make him almost trip off the roof he’d been working on. She’d looked almost frustrated when he’d turned her offer down. 

It was a little strange, but it was nice having a civilian being friendly for a change. Most tended to act like he and his brothers were invisible. Even if being at the center of her attention was kind of strange, it was nice to feel that the work he and the other  _ vod’e  _ had done was appreciated.

Echo and Jesse, who had finally decided to actually contribute and had been working alongside him, had just sighed and shook their heads. All of Fives’s attempts to pester answers out of them were met with exasperated looks of amusement nearly identical to Rex’s and them telling him not to worry about it.   
  


* * *

  
  


It was a long day of work, but they managed to get everything done before night officially fell. Fives was sitting with a group of his in the temporary barracks they’d assembled, a mix between a tent and a lean-to, laughing and joking around as they shared rations and relaxed.

“Well, this looks cozy!” 

A sudden hush fell over the group as Fives turned and found Lorten smiling at him. He returned it easily. 

“Just winding down for the day before we get some rest.” He waved invitingly for her to join them, shooting a confused look around at his suddenly quiet brothers. Conversations slowly started back up, quieter than before. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.

“Seems like a good way to end the day.” 

They made polite conversation for a few minutes, before she looked around, frowning contemplatively. 

“Are you all going to be sleeping in here?” she asked. Fives blinked at the sudden subject change. 

“Well, yeah.” 

“It’s so crowded, though!” 

“We’re all pretty used to it. You should see some of the quarters on Kamino!” 

She bit her lip, looking around, before meeting his eyes.  “Would you like to spend the night at my home? I’ve got the room, and it’s more private,” she offered, hesitantly. Fives blinked in surprise. He smiled, appreciating the offer, even if he wouldn't be accepting it. 

“That’s alright, I’m not really used to sleeping alone without anyone else around anyway.” 

There was the sound of cursing behind Fives, but he ignored it; someone must have lost pretty badly in the  _ sabaac  _ game. 

Lorten bit her lip, hesitating, before smiling at him. “Well, we could always share the bed. You certainly wouldn’t be sleeping alone.” 

_ That _ drew Fives up a little short. 

“I appreciate the offer, ma’am, but I’d hate to impose on you like that. I should probably stay here with the rest of my brothers, anyway.” 

Lorten stared at him for a long moment, before sighing and slumping a little. “Right,” she muttered, standing up and departing without another word with a frustrated expression on her face. He watched her go, confused.

Fives noticed how silence had fallen all around him. He turned and found all his brothers staring at him judgmentally. Rex was shaking his head and smiling a little.

_ “What?” _ Fives demanded. “You’ve been weird  _ all day!” _ He pointed accusingly at Echo and Jesse. “Seriously, what’s going on? Why are you all staring at me.” 

“Fives,” Echo started, sounding incredibly done, “Lorten has been flirting with you.” 

There was a sudden uproar. Several of his other brothers were suddenly complaining and groaning in Echo’s direction. 

“C’mon, Echo!” one of the younger troopers, Fives thinks his name is Knot, pipes up. 

“He wasn’t getting it! And it’s not like anyone was winning the bet anyway!” Echo shoots back. 

Fives finally manages to get his brain working enough to respond. 

_ “What?!” _

Jesse just laughed, the  _ sheb _ . “Yeah,  _ vod, _ she hasn’t even been subtle. You just...didn’t pick up on it. At all.” 

“What-  _ No!  _ She wasn’t-”

_“Ray’ika-”_ _Oh little gods, Rex was breaking out the nickname, this was_ bad- “she just invited you to _share her bed.”_

Oh. 

_ Oh.  _

Fives looked around at his brother’s faces, desperately searching for some sign they were joking. He couldn’t find any; they all were looking at him with something approaching pity now. 

“But- but I don’t want to do-  _ that _ with  _ anyone!”  _ He wailed, burying his face in his hands. There were some scattered chuckles and grumbles. Fives startled when someone slapped a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Echo smiling at him. His face had a mix of sympathy and amusement on it. 

“We know,  _ vod. _ She probably doesn’t though.” 

"Why does this always happen to _me?"_ Fives would never admit that he was whining. His twin laughed, ruffling his hair as best he could. 

"Who knows? You seem to have a certain amount of charm."

“You might want to sort that out, quick,” Rex recommended. “Or you’ll be in for an awkward week.”  


  
  


* * *

He found her after a few minutes running through the rows of temporary barracks and repaired buildings. 

“Wait!” He called out. She turned, looking surprised to see him. He jogged up to her, taking a second to catch his breath and think of what exactly to say. 

“Changed your mind?” she asked, and there was something almost like hope in her voice. Fives winced.  _ Kark.  _

“Uh- not exactly. Just…” He straightened and looked her in the eye. “It was...brought to my attention that you were, uh. Flirting. With me.” He tried not cringe at himself, grateful none of his brothers were around to witness this.  _ Smooth. _

Lorten blinked. “...Yes?”

“Right. The thing is...I’m flattered. Really I am! I’m just- not exactly. Uh…” He buried his face in his hands with a groan.  _ “Kriff!”  _

“Fives? Are you alright?” she asked carefully, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m not interested in sex,” he blurted out.  _ Well, that works.  _ “Or...dating. With anyone. It’s just...not my thing? Sorry…” He hesitantly looked up to meet her eyes again.

Lorten stared at him for a long moment before she burst into giggles. 

“I thought you were just...really polite! Or were just really oblivious!” she said after a minute. “Oh Force, I’m  _ so  _ sorry, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable!” 

“No, no!” Fives replied, quickly. “I, uh- I was pretty oblivious. Didn’t even realize it. Echo finally took pity on me and explained it.” He huffed out a laugh, shuffling his feet a little awkwardly.  _ Would’ve been nice to fill me in a little sooner,  _ Ey’ika. 

They laughed together for a moment, the tension broken. 

“Are- This is probably a stupid question, but are  _ all _ of you ace?” 

Fives shook his head, smiling ruefully. “No, not all of us. You could hit on most of them and get a much more... _ enthusiastic _ response than me. Most of ‘em will realize you’re flirting, too.” They shared rueful grins. “We...we can be friends, instead,” he offered. “Most clones don’t really have too many of those. Besides other clones, I mean.” 

Lorten smiled at him. “I’d like that, Fives.” She paused, her smile turning a little teasing. “If we’re friends, will you actually call me by my name? You’ve been calling me ma’am all day, no matter what I did!” 

Fives laughed with her. “I was trying to be respectful!” he protested, grinning. “But yeah. I can do that...Raina?” She grinned and nodded, holding out a hand to him. 

“Friends, then?” 

Fives took it without hesitation. 

“Friends.” They shook hands solemnly. Raina grinned a little viciously. 

“Now. As your friend, would you like a little help getting back at your brothers for leaving you to flounder all day? I noticed them staring.” 

Fives blinked at her, an evil grin of his own curling up to match. 

“Now  _ that _ is something I can get behind!” 

_ This would be the start of a beautiful friendship, indeed. _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hate writing flirting so much, I'm too ace for this shit. Also, this got so much longer than I planned...
> 
> {Mando'a Translations}
> 
> di'kut- idiot  
> sharal shebse- lazy assholes  
> dikut'e- plural form of di'kut; idiots  
> vod'e- plural form of vod, brothers  
> vod- brother  
> Ray'ika- diminutive form of rayshe'a, meaning five; used as an affectionate nickname for Fives  
> Ey'ika- diminutive form of eyayah, meaning echo; used as an affectionate nickname for Echo
> 
> I'm fadinglight123 on tumblr, come cry about the clones with me.


End file.
